The problem he is facing getting insurance is not only due to engine size: it is due to the fact that he has brought a car with a horrendous crash ratio in Europe (trust me, my fiance is the CEO of a motor insurance company).

The 8.4litre engine produces over 600HP. It is a monster of a V10.

One small problem: the brakes on the car are seriously cráp, as are the suspension systems. The electronics are also nestling somewhere in the stone age. As a result this car, which was built to go extremely fast in straight lines in California and other nice sunny (and dry) American states, has a nasty habit of spinning into the nearest central reservation when it hits a spot of rain on the autobahn.

Has your friend owned a supercar before? If his only previous drive was a 2litre Mondeo diesel then it will be impossible to find anyone to insure him at a reasonable rate (i.e. less than 15,000GBP per annum).

I would recommend that your friend sells the car asap, or else attempts to contact a specialist insurance broker (Marsh, Aon, Leue&Nill in Germany). If he has anything other than a snow white record: the price is going to be horrible, even for MTPL cover only.

Welcome to the fun of owning a supercar (my first one cost me 2,500quid a year MTPL only to insure (with 12 years of accident and penalty free motoring), 1,500-3,000 quid per service (one every 6 months) and a fuel bill similar to a Saturn 5 rocket).

The problem he is facing getting insurance is not only due to engine size: it is due to the fact that he has brought a car with a horrendous crash ratio in Europe (trust me, my fiance is the CEO of a motor insurance company).

The 8.4litre engine produces over 600HP. It is a monster of a V10.

One small problem: the brakes on the car are seriously cráp, as are the suspension system. The electronics are also nestling somewhere in the stone age. As a result this car, which was built to go extremely fast in straight lines in California and other nice sunny (and dry) American states, has a nasty habit of spinning into the nearest central reservation when it hits a spot of rain on the autobahn.

Has your friend owned a supercar before? If his only previous drive was a 2litre Mondeo diesel then it will be impossible to find anyone to insure him at a reasonable rate (i.e. less than 15,000GBP per annum).

I would recommend that your friend sells the car asap, or else attempts to contact a specialist insurance broker (Marsh, Aon, Leue&Nill in Germany). If he has anything other than a snow white record: the price is going to be horrible, even for MTPL cover only.

Welcome to the fun of owning a supercar (my first one cost me 2,500quid a year MTPL only to insure (with 12 years of accident and penalty free motoring), 1,500-3,000 quid per service (one every 6 months) and a fuel bill similar to a Saturn 5 rocket).

3. Ferrari 355. Cost around 30-60,000GBP. Insurance takes a leap as does servicing costs (insurance should be partially offset by no-claims bonus). Annual service costs between 1,000-3,000GBP depending on mileage.

4. Porsche 911 (a decent one), Ferrari 550, Aston Martin V8. Cost 60-80,000 GBP. Insurance will now be hovering around 2,000GBP (fully comp with no claims discount. Some may be able to get much cheaper). Service costs remain the same unless something goes wrong (then sky is the limit).

5. A modern, new supercar. Cost 60,000+GBP. Insurance will be high, servicing costs hopefully steady as warranty should cover main parts. Fuel expensive.

Be aware that changing the clutch on a supercar (a very common occurance due to previous owners thrashing it while showing off) is expensive. For a Ferrari or Lambo you are looking at 7-10,000GBP (all for a part that costs between 120 and 500GBP).

The number of garages (no matter how competant the mechanics) who can deal with a modern supercar are vanishingly small thanks to the use of unique guages and fittings (Lambo are the worst for this) and modern electronics. With older cars and one or two new ones (e.g. Lotus, TVR, Ariel, Noble, Spyker) they use parts from Audi, Ford, Honda etc and there tend to be communities of geeks who have rebuilt their own cars and can give advice and do the work for a fraction of the cost and know all the tricks (especially true of all old Lotus cars).

Edit to add: I suspect there is a step 4.5: buy a nearly new previous model supercar (Ferrari 360 or 575). These cost between 70-120,000GBP).

And your mate is a complete fuckwit for a. buying a car without getting firm insurance quotes for the car and b. buying a car that is so far above his current experience as to be unbelievable. As far as the insurer is concerned it is the same as a little old woman changing from a mini-metro to an Audi R8.